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DE RUEHC #8273/01 1281425
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P R 071419Z MAY 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0340
INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 048273 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE UZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL:  RESPONSE TO OSCE PROJECT 
COORDINATOR IN UZBEKISTAN 
 
 
 ¶1.  Post is authorized to make the following statement at 
the May 8, 2008, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in 
Vienna: 
 
Begin Text: 
 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
 
The United States welcomes Ambassador Venczel to the 
Permanent Council in his new role as the OSCE Project 
Coordinator in Uzbekistan. We are confident that, with his 
extensive experience in the region, he will be successful in 
this important work in Uzbekistan. 
 
Mr. Ambassador, it is encouraging that the Government of 
Uzbekistan has granted you a three-year accreditation, and 
recently approved fifteen of nineteen outstanding project 
proposals.  We see these as positive measures for enhancing 
Uzbekistan,s relationship with the Project Coordinator,s 
Office and an indication of support for the OSCE,s work. 
That said, we hope that in the future the process for 
reviewing project proposals can be shortened so as to reduce 
the time needed for implementation, and we hope that projects 
will be approved without limitations placed on 
implementation. 
 
The United States fully supports the Project Coordinator,s 
work in all three dimensions. The Project Coordinator,s work 
on anti-terrorism activities, such as conducting travel 
document security workshops, and its work assisting the 
police academy, are proven examples of good cooperation with 
the authorities to consolidate security. We also commend the 
Project Coordinator,s work to advance economic development 
while promoting rule of law, such as the opening of two 
commercial arbitration courts and training for judges. 
 
We note that the Office was able to make progress in human 
dimension activities over the past year despite working with 
a new, limited mandate. We believe the Office,s outreach to 
inform the public, academicians, politicians, and NGOs about 
OSCE commitments, especially in the field of human rights, 
can have a very positive impact.  We were particularly 
impressed by the training courses for law faculty on UN and 
OSCE commitments in the field of human rights and rule of 
law, and we hope to see such types of projects continued. We 
hope, nonetheless, that Uzbekistan will allow the Office to 
become a center with a full mandate across all three 
dimensions. 
 
In February, the United States intervened before this Council 
to note the limited progress made by Uzbekistan in meeting 
its Helsinki Commitments. We have continued to see progress, 
but unfortunately also some backtracking, specifically 
concerning religious freedom and NGO accreditation. We hope 
that these concerns are resolved soon, and believe the 
Project Coordinator,s Office can help officials sort through 
some of these issues 
 
As Ambassador Venczel outlined in his report, the Project 
Coordinator,s Office has done an excellent job in working 
with other OSCE institutions*including the Strategic Police 
Matters Unit, the High Commissioner on National Minorities, 
and ODIHR*to advance the goal of meeting OSCE commitments by 
providing expert assistance. We hope this cooperation 
continues, especially in light of the final ODIHR election 
report released in April on Uzbekistan,s presidential 
election, which ODIHR assessed as falling short of OSCE 
commitments. ODIHR has once again done a commendable job in 
detailing specific recommendations to improve Uzbekistan,s 
election process in the future, and we count on the Uzbek 
authorities to implement these recommendations, many of which 
were contained in ODIHR,s final report on the 2004 Uzbek 
parliamentary elections. 
 
The United States takes note of recent efforts by the Project 
Coordinator,s Office and the Government of Uzbekistan to 
promote regional activities and cooperation, including the 
October conference on sustainable development in the region 
and, most recently, the April conference on security in 
Central Asia.  Security in the region will depend to some 
degree on the success of international efforts in neighboring 
Afghanistan. We are therefore pleased that Uzbekistan is 
engaging with its neighbors and with international 
organizations to support stabilization efforts. On the OSCE 
front, we hope that this results in Uzbekistan,s 
participation in regional training activities for borders and 
customs officials, and a successful OSCE-led border 
 
STATE 00048273  002 OF 002 
 
 
assessment in Uzbekistan that can set the stage for improved 
border and customs management. 
 
As always, the United States supports the important role that 
the OSCE Project Coordinator,s Office in Tashkent can play 
in assisting the Government of Uzbekistan fulfill its 
Helsinki commitments. We stand ready to support the 
Government and the Project Coordinator in their efforts. 
 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman 
RICE